If you thought Great Britain wasn’t gonna pull out all the stops to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of William Shakespeare‘s death, well…thee were wrong. On May 23rd, Fathom Events will present the BBC’s The Shakespeare Show in select theaters nationwide. Recorded live from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, it’s a star-studded event hosted by former Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
Joining the charismatic pair will be superstars like Benedict Cumberbatch (yes, that Benedict Cumberbatch), Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judi Dench, and Sir Ian McKellen, to name just a few. The highlight for Whovians, however, will be the chance to see Tennant perform Puck’s monologue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While it may not be the Bard’s most acclaimed play, Dream is, for my money, his most purely enjoyable. A lush, swooning valentine to the joy and peril of falling in love, it’s anchored by Puck’s trickster/cupid/Greek chorus; and Tennant, who’s already played Hamlet and Richard II, does the role full justice in a clip you can watch here. (Sorry, BBC America doesn’t let us embed its videos.) Rarely has a man appeared so comfortable in a rhinestone-studded blazer.
For more Shakespearean merriment, you can view the full trailer for the event below. Anglophiles can purchase tickets for The Shakespeare Show‘s one-night-only theatrical presentation here.
By the way, if you’re a fan of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you’re strongly advised to seek out writer Neil Gaiman and artist Charles Vess’ take on the tale in the World Fantasy Award-winning Sandman #19, in which the Bard himself presents the play to the “real” Puck. It can be found in the The Sandman: Dream Country, the third volume collecting the acclaimed comic book’s complete run.
Featured Image: BBC America
